Life preserving apparatus



Sept. 11, 1945. H BINGHAM, JR 2,384,721

LIFE PRESERVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 11,1945. G. H. BINGHAM, JR

LIFE PRESERVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 11, 1945. ame -1 JR 2,384,721

- LIFE PRESERVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1943 5 SheetsSheet 3 Sept. 11, 1945. e; H. BINGHAM, JR 2,334,721

LIFE PRESERVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 p 1945- G. H. BlNGHAM, JR-

LIFE PRESERVING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 2, 1943 Patented Sept. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,384,721 r i LIFE PRESERVING APPARATUS George H. Bingham, Jr., Lincoln, Mass., assignor to Cambridge Rubber Company, Can'lbridge, Mass, a corporation of -Massachusetts' 7 I Application October 2, 1943, Serial. No.;504,6.65'

7 Claims.

This inventionrelates to safety apparatus and is. more especially concerned with apparatus of this type designed for use in aeronautics.

In air transport work it is customary, particularly if an air journey involves a long water hop, to carry one or more life preservers, usually consisting of an inflatable boat or boats, by means of which the crew and the passengers, if any, may be kept afloat in the event of an emergency landing on the waters Generally these boats are equipped with some kind of a supply of compressed. gas, or gas producing apparatus/with which to inflate them. Also, as a rule, they are released from the air craft in an inflated condition, where circumstances permit. Not only is such equipment carried by most air craft use for transport purposes, but sometimes, also, inflatable life preservers are carried by the crew of an airplane for their own use intheevent that they are forced to bail out.

Difficulties which have developed in the actual use of such equipment are that at times the inflating apparatus has failed to work, or there was no time in which to operate it. Also, when a man must bail out he may become separated from his life preserver, or it may be found that this part of the equipment has been forgotten and left behind. In any of these situations the results may be extremely serious.

The present invention deals especially with the foregoing considerations, and it aims to devise forms of life saving equipment in which the objections above described will be eliminated, or at least greatly minimized.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a parachute equipped with a life preserver, in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 in which the life preserver or life boat is removably fastened to the parachute;

Fig. 4 is a general plan view of top;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5, Fig. 3;

the parachute Fig. 8 is a plan view of the life preserverillustrated in Fig. 3 when equipped with a. partially detachable floor or bottom;

Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional views taken approximately on the line 9-4, Fig. 8, the former. illustrating the life-preserver with the floor or bottom in its operable position, While the latter. shows the floor rolled up;

Fig. 11 is a View much like Fig. 1 but illustrating another form in which the invention may be embodied;

Fig. 12 is a side view of still another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 13 is an elevation of the lower end of the life preserver shown in Fig. 12.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the device there shown comprises a parachute structureof any suitable form including a top 2 and shrouds 3 connected with it and running to the harness designed to be strapped to the aviator or other load carried by the chute. Secured to the top 2 is a life preserver 4 which may be of any suitable size and whichordinarily will consist of an inflatable boat. In this instance, however, the life preserveris F made integral with the parachute structure, its

through the fabric 2 to permit a relatively free Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing another form which the invention may take;

bodiments of the invention;

flow-of air trapped under the parachute top into the space in the life preserver 4. In order to lock this air in the latter member a check valve 6 is secured to the-fabric where it will close the aperture 5 against the flow of air outwardly from the life preserver but will not materially impede the inflow of air. While this valve may be of any suitableform, the type used in gas masks has been found to operate very satisfactorily for the purposes of this invention. Such a valve is illustrated in Fig. 2, and it comprises a rigid body made in two sections which are screwed together, oneof them being so constructed as to be conveniently attached to the fabric. Within the body is a valve disk made of rubber, or equivalent material, anchored to said body at its center, and provided with flexible margins which normally rest on a valve seat formed in said body. Other forms of check valves obviously can be substituted for it.

If the pilot isobliged to bailout, the pressure of the trapped air in theparachute, as he-descends, builds up very quickly to values ample for inflating the life boat. Consequently, when the pilot lands on the water he flnds his life boat fully inflated and floating; he climbs into it; and he can thus be kept afloat for many days. In fact, such a construction can readily be designed to float more than one person.

This arrangement adds relatively little to the weight of the parachute; such added weight is, or can be, symmetrically disposed by making the life preserver concentric with the axis of the parachute top; and the construction is economical because the parachute fabric forms a part of the v Y life preserver itself.

Because there may be a from the life preserver, and also for convenience in deflating the apparatus aftertests, or at any other time, I prefer to equip the device with some form of manually operable valve. ti-cleof this character is indicated at I, Fig. 1, andis better illustrated in Fig. 7. Itis disclosed more fully in a pending application of mine, but, briefly stated, it consists of a rubber tube 1 vulcanized in the bent form shown in Fig. 2 so that the sharp bend in it collapses part of the tube and prevents theflow of air through it in either direction. One end of this tube is vulcanized into the fabric' l of the life preserver, while the other end is left open and free. Norslow leakage of air either set of nipples that happens to be uppermost to. replace air that may be lost by leakage. Du-

plicate sets of nipples andvalves are desirable because of the fact that it is impossible to tell which side up the parachute and, consequently, the life preserver, will land.

A simple armally it is locked in its bent condition by a keeper strap 8. When it is desired to use it either for pressure relief or for inflation purposes, the free end can be pulled out from under the strap 8, and it can then be straightened sufficiently to open the normally closed section, thus permitting a fairly free flow of air through it in either direction. If the air ressure inside the boat becomes too low, it can be increased by blowing through this valve or'by attaching any kind of a portable air pump to it for the same purposes. Preferably the outer end portion of the tube 1 is tapered so that the fitting on the delivery end of an air pump can be wedged into it tightly enough for this purpose. Whenever the tube 1 is released it automatically returns to its closed position, as shown in Fig. '7, due to its inherent resiliency and the fact that it'was initially vulcanized or cured in this condition.

'In making a landing with this apparatus the fabric and other parachute equipment surrounding the life preserver may become a nuisance and, while it can be cut away, it will be found preferable under some circumstances to make the life preserver removable from the parachute top. Such a construction is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, where the parts corresponding to those above described are illustrated by the same, but primed, numerals. Here the life boat may be of an orthodox form except for the connections provided by this invention for releasably securing it to the parachute top. Several connectors are provided, each consisting of a nipple l0 made of rubber or equivalent elastic material and each opening at its inner end on to a check valve 8' sealed into the Wall of the life preserver and the nipple is provided at, its outer end with a strong elastic head on socket H which can be stretched over a button-like'flxture on stud l2 secured permanently to the parachute top 2'. This button forms a reinforcement for the'aperture 5 in the parachute and also serves as a connecting member cooperatin with the nipple ID to secure the life boat mechanically but releasably to the parachute. Considerable force is required to disconnect these parts, but'by grasping the neck of the It is also desirable to make the life preserver in sections by providing partitions, such as those indicated in dotted lines at Hand shown more clearly in Fig. 5, which separate adjoining sections from each other. If the sections are permanently separated, then'each should be equipped with at least one inlet valve 6 and with one relief valve 1. Such a construction is of value in the eventthat any one section becomes damaged so that it' is not air-tight. It is also desirable at times to use the sectional construction but to 'connect some, or all, of the sections in series through check valves like those shown at 6 in Figure 2, so as to equalize the air pressure in the sections, while at the same time affording more security against the effects of a puncture than'would be provided in a construction like that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows a check valve 6 mounted in the partition l3, and the same construction may be used in as many of the partitions as desired.

In the embodiments of the invention 'abovedescribed the main function of the parachute is to reduce the rate of descent of the flierpr passenger to a safe limit, and the utilization of' the air trapped in the parachute top for inflating the life preserver is an incident to the'm'ain' function of the parachute. There are circumstances, hoW- ever, under which it will-be found' highly advantageous to use a parachute with a life preserver solely for the purpose of inflating the latter.

Such an arrangement is illustrated 'in' Fig. 6 where the inflatable life preserver I4 is provided with an inlet nipple l5 and 'a check valve 6. To this nipple or connector, however, a small parachute IB issecured and a weight I! is fastened to it. Such'an assembly can be folded into a relatively small package and thrown over-board from an'aircraft when it is found that an emergency water landing must be made. During the descent of the parachute, the rate of which will be determined primarily by the'mass of the member H, the air trapped in the parachute It will be forced through the connections l5 and 6, into the life preserver, and will-inflate the latter. Any suitable means, such as "the cords I9 and the straps 20, may be provided to secure the parts l6 and 14 together. All the connections between the life preserver and the parachutes obviously can be readily cut to release the life preserver from them after landing.

In order to expedite the opening of the parachute IS when the assembly has been'thrown out, the chute maybe equipped with an internal spiral spring 18 which will expand it immediately after being released. Also, the timeconsumed in effecting the complete inflation of the life preserverin'this manner-will be reduced by connecting a'smallfpilotparachute 2| to the end of thelife preserver opposite to" that to whichthe chute i6; 'i s"fa, stened,'fwhere it will reduce the rate of descent of the entire'assembly and will hold the inflatable member {4 straightened out softhat inflation of itwillbe more readily accomplished. 5 1 1 Each of the parachutes illustrated in Figsfl 3 and'4 has the usual opening 9 at the center of the top thereof for the escape of air along the vertical axis 'of the chute to prevent excessive sway or oscillation when in use. In any chute made as shown in Fig. 1, and not equipped with the opening 9, the portion of the parachute top surrounded by the life preserver 4 would form the floor or bottom of the latter when it is in use. However, it is customary to provide such openings, and when that construction is used the boat must be equipped with its own floor.

A construction suitable for this purpose is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 in which the floor or bottom 24 is permanently attached to the float along one side, as by a seam or seams 25, Fig. 9. v The opposite edge of the floor is made detachable so that when the float is applied to the top of the parachute the floor is rolled up, as illustrated in Fig. 10, and is remcvably fastened in place by straps equipped with snap fasteners 26, the bottom section 24 itself having fastening elements to cooperate with these snap fasteners. This detachable edge may be fastened in its operative position by another set of fasteners, pref erably of the zipper type, as shown at 21, one line of these zipper elements being secured to the edge of the bottom 24 and the other to the upper and inner surface of the float so that both lines may be united by operating the usual zipper slide. In order to prevent leakage which otherwise would occur through the line of fasteners, considerable slack is provided in the floor and its edges are attached to the surrounding inflated section of the float near the top thereof so as to be well above the water line.

Fig. 11 illustrates a construction in which the inflatable or life preserver section is made integral with the structure of the parachute top, but instead of being above said top, as in Fig. 1, is below it. Here the parachute top 4 is of the usual form but a false top 28 is secured at its edges to the parachute fabric and extends entirely across the top, except for the central fabric chimney or air shaft 30 which is provided to conduct air to the outlet 9=-. In this false top 28 any suitable number of inlet valves 6 are inserted to permit the flow of air therethrough into the relatively large annular space between the port 28 and the outer fabric of the parachute top. Consequently, the life preserver section or float section so provided will be inflated incidental to the normal use of the parachute, exactly as in the construction shown in Fig. 1.

In all of these constructions the float or life preserver is inflated by its motion through the atmosphere and the air pressure so utilized is that applied to the leading face of the inflatable member. In each case there is located ahead of this face some member which gathers air from a greater area than that of the face itself and directs it toward the intake valves. This air gathering member, however, while immensely valuable in some situations, is not always necessary, and Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate a float 3| similar in form to those in common use but adapted to be inflated merely by its motion through theair.- In this case that motion is produced by attaching a weightf32 to thedife preserver so as to 'makeit fallwith a predetermined end thereof downward. The front face of this end i's made relatively stiff and rigid, and 's'everal'valves '6," like those shown'in Fig. 2, are positioned in this end face with their intake'ends forwardl ConsequentlvTif this, assembly'fis thrown out of an airplane, it will drop rapidly with its weighted end, foremost, and the air pressure against the valves 6 will inflate the device. Preferably the weight is detachably fastened to the float, as by a snap hook 33, so that it can readily be detached when the float is in use. For the same reason it is preferable to make the attachment of the parachutes l6 and 2| to the float l4 of a readily detachable type.

From the foregoing it will be evident that this invention contributes very substantially to the safety of an aviator obliged to make an emergency water landing. Also, that it minimizes the hazards attending the use of prior art apparatus provided for this purpose, as above described.

While I have herein disclosed preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. The combination of an inflatable life preserver and two parachutes connected with said life preserver for flight therewith, one of said parachutes serving to reduce the rate of fall of the life preserver and the other serving to trap air during its descent, and means connecting said parachute with said life preserver toconduct air so trapped into said life preserver to inflate it.

2. The combination with a.parachute, an inflatable life preserver, and means releasably connecting said life preserver to said parachute for flight therewith, said connecting means being constructed and arranged to conduct air trapped in the parachute during its descent into said life preserver to inflate it.

3. The combination with a parachute, an inflatable life preserver, means connecting said life preserver to said parachute for flight therewith but for convenient separation therefrom, said means including a tubular connector and a check valve cooperating therewith to permit a relatively free flow of air from the parachute into the life preserver but preventing a reverse flow of said air.

4. The combination with a parachute, an inflatable life preserver, means releasably connecting said life preserver to said parachute for flight therewith, said connecting means including a plurality of tubular connectors of the socket and stud type and each including a check valve permitting a relatively free flow of air from the parachute into the life preserver but preventing a reverse flow of said air.

5. The combination with a parachute, an inflatable life preserver, means connecting said life preserver to said parachute for flight therewith but for convenient separation therefrom, said means including a tubular connector and a check valve cooperating therewith to permit a relatively free flow of air from the parachute into the life preserver but preventing a reverse flow of said air, said life preserver including partitions dividing it into sections arranged in series and check valves in said partitions interconnecting the secclaim 2, in-which said lii'e preserver is of the type having a cockpit surrounded bye, tubular inflatablebody portion, said cockpit having a floor of sheet material and means for detachably securing the edge of said floor to one side of said body portion, whereby said edge of the floor may be detached when the life preserver is used with a parachute having a central hole in the top thereof.

V GEORGE H. BINGHAM, JR. 

